About KCDC

What is the KCDC?

Located in the heart of downtown Kansas City, the Kansas City Design Center (KCDC) is a nationally-recognized, nonprofit, partnership among local civic leaders, professional designers, and the architecture and planning programs at the University of Kansas and Kansas State University.

MISSION/PURPOSE

Our mission is simple: promote excellence in the design of Kansas City’s built environment. We accomplish this in two ways:

1. EDUCATION

The KCDC engages university faculty and some of the region’s most talented architecture and planning students in a unique learning laboratory that actively explores real-world issues facing Kansas City’s future development. Our educational programs are built around our resident urban design studio, through which faculty and students form partnerships with local client groups and stakeholders to develop design concepts and implementation proposals addressing major architectural, urban design and urban planning issues throughout metropolitan Kansas City.

2. PUBLIC SERVICE

The KCDC serves as an independent forum for critical dialogues about architecture and planning issues, and offers technical assistance to public agencies and local community organizations. This includes everything from hosting free lectures by internationally renowned architects to collaborating with local organizations and non-profits on projects that seek to improve Kansas City's livability.

FUNDING

The KCDC has been generously supported by:

William T. Kemper FoundationHall Family FoundationKansas State UniversityUniversity of Kansas

PARTNERSHIPS & Collaborations

The KCDC actively seeks to partner and collaborate with community organizations, stakeholders and residents, local governments, and design professionals to promote excellence in urban design and the built environment. Current and past partnerships and collaborations include: